The Compassionate Care in Medicine club met last week via Zoom for the first in a series of "Compassion and Corona" meetings. Dr. Michael Bode, a family practice physician from Indiana joined us.
Our members asked Dr. Bode questions about how physicians can continue to practice compassion with telehealth. Dr. Bode noted that while normally physical proximity and touch are important aspects of the care interaction (both for doing physical exams and showing compassion through body language), patients are very grateful for the opportunity to meet with their physicians via phone or video call. He said that people are "definitely willing to meet you halfway right now." However, he also indicated that he didn't see telehealth services completely replacing the normal patient-provider interaction in the future. Physical exams and keeping patients accountable via in-person visits will continue to be important factors in providing good medical care.
In regards to how Dr. Bode practices compassion in his work regularly, he attributes some of the capacity for compassion to "who you are." One thing our club members found particularly uplifting was his message that, "every person you see during the day is a new opportunity to make that person feel better - about their health, about their day, about themselves. But that goes the other way too: a poor interaction has the power to ruin someone's day." Taking each interaction seriously and with the goal of improving someone's day helps Dr. Bode continue to practice compassion in his practice. Even with telehealth, he keeps this same philosophy in each call with a patient.
One student asked about Dr. Bode's experiences with anxious or worried patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that one positive about the situation is that most people seem to be very informed. In his experience working part-time in non-emergent Immediate Care centers, many people who would usually be coming in with mild cold or flu symptoms are staying home. Those who are concerned about having or contracting the virus are especially trying to take the right steps, and are thus doing a pretty good job of following advice from health experts - both locally and nationally. Dr. Bode did note that people tend to want a concrete answer when it comes to their care, and so some of the unknowns with the Coronavirus (e.g. access to testing, likelihood of having positive symptoms, etc.) are frustrating. In these instances, he says that "you have to find compassionate ways to explain to people the standard of care… [and] help to ease their worries however you can."
Another student asked about the impact of the Coronavirus on physician burnout. Dr. Bode admitted that he has observed being overworked and feeling distress at seeing colleagues getting sick, and in extreme cases, dying. Everyone is worried about bringing it home to their families, but he says he finds strength in watching everyone around him fight the pandemic. The importance of collegiality is a common theme in many of our physician speakers' presentations, and Dr. Bode's words ring true now more than ever. People are extra appreciative of the work of healthcare providers in this time, which he also notes gives him and his colleagues strength.
Dr. Bode's overarching message was that this is a humbling experience in medicine, and we don’t have everything figured out yet. The issues of equal access to care, racial and socioeconomic disparities in healthcare, the intimate relationship between both public and private healthcare and the economy, and the importance of daily human interaction have all been brought to light amidst the pandemic. Dr. Bode maintains hope that everyone will learn from this experience and be more prepared for health emergencies in the future.
Thank you to all who joined the call for this first Zoom meeting! We had a great turnout, and hope to see even more of you at our next "Compassion and Corona" meeting. If you are interested in hearing more from Dr. Bode, please send us an email at [email protected], and we will be happy to send a recording of the entire Zoom meeting.
Our members asked Dr. Bode questions about how physicians can continue to practice compassion with telehealth. Dr. Bode noted that while normally physical proximity and touch are important aspects of the care interaction (both for doing physical exams and showing compassion through body language), patients are very grateful for the opportunity to meet with their physicians via phone or video call. He said that people are "definitely willing to meet you halfway right now." However, he also indicated that he didn't see telehealth services completely replacing the normal patient-provider interaction in the future. Physical exams and keeping patients accountable via in-person visits will continue to be important factors in providing good medical care.
In regards to how Dr. Bode practices compassion in his work regularly, he attributes some of the capacity for compassion to "who you are." One thing our club members found particularly uplifting was his message that, "every person you see during the day is a new opportunity to make that person feel better - about their health, about their day, about themselves. But that goes the other way too: a poor interaction has the power to ruin someone's day." Taking each interaction seriously and with the goal of improving someone's day helps Dr. Bode continue to practice compassion in his practice. Even with telehealth, he keeps this same philosophy in each call with a patient.
One student asked about Dr. Bode's experiences with anxious or worried patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that one positive about the situation is that most people seem to be very informed. In his experience working part-time in non-emergent Immediate Care centers, many people who would usually be coming in with mild cold or flu symptoms are staying home. Those who are concerned about having or contracting the virus are especially trying to take the right steps, and are thus doing a pretty good job of following advice from health experts - both locally and nationally. Dr. Bode did note that people tend to want a concrete answer when it comes to their care, and so some of the unknowns with the Coronavirus (e.g. access to testing, likelihood of having positive symptoms, etc.) are frustrating. In these instances, he says that "you have to find compassionate ways to explain to people the standard of care… [and] help to ease their worries however you can."
Another student asked about the impact of the Coronavirus on physician burnout. Dr. Bode admitted that he has observed being overworked and feeling distress at seeing colleagues getting sick, and in extreme cases, dying. Everyone is worried about bringing it home to their families, but he says he finds strength in watching everyone around him fight the pandemic. The importance of collegiality is a common theme in many of our physician speakers' presentations, and Dr. Bode's words ring true now more than ever. People are extra appreciative of the work of healthcare providers in this time, which he also notes gives him and his colleagues strength.
Dr. Bode's overarching message was that this is a humbling experience in medicine, and we don’t have everything figured out yet. The issues of equal access to care, racial and socioeconomic disparities in healthcare, the intimate relationship between both public and private healthcare and the economy, and the importance of daily human interaction have all been brought to light amidst the pandemic. Dr. Bode maintains hope that everyone will learn from this experience and be more prepared for health emergencies in the future.
Thank you to all who joined the call for this first Zoom meeting! We had a great turnout, and hope to see even more of you at our next "Compassion and Corona" meeting. If you are interested in hearing more from Dr. Bode, please send us an email at [email protected], and we will be happy to send a recording of the entire Zoom meeting.